Scientists: Ice-Cream Is a Drug

Mar 23, 2012

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The scientists from the Oregon Research Institute (USA) have concluded that ice cream can cause addiction just like drugs.

Kyle Burger and his colleagues have found a new argument in favor of the hypothesis that some foods can be addictive. In particular, the excessive consumption of foods high in fat and sugar, such as ice cream, obstructs the signals of pleasure with which the brain regulates the amount of product consumed.

According to Burger, blunting of the ability to adjust the serving size is typical when taking drugs regularly. The Telegraph writes that the more a person takes some drug, the less satisfaction it brings.

Consequently, there is an insatiable desire to increase the dose. Only in one case we can talk about drugs, and in the other one about ice cream or a milkshake.

So, the list of hazardous substances can now include not only nicotine and alcohol, but fast food products as well. According to the scientist, the data confirm the theory that eating fatty and sugary foods can distort the brain response to them, just as is the case with drugs.

The study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involved 151 adolescents between the ages of 14 to 16 years. The scientists treated them with chocolate cocktails, which included ice cream. The body weight of each of the participants of the experiment was “within normal limits.” The experiment lasted for several weeks. Before drinking cocktails, they were always shown a picture with a glass of this drink, and a magnetic resonance imaging was conducted at the same time. It turned out that all the children enjoyed cocktails, but the reaction of the brain shows that those, who drank too much of the treat, received less pleasure.